Spoon You, Fork Me

dips

We were served seriously big serves
Our stomachs started hurting just seeing our plates being set down on the table
We entertained a lot of elderly diners who marveled at our ability to eat a LOT of food.

Diners today were at The Glenelg Club which is at Glenelg Oval (Gliderol Stadium) on Brighton Rd. Hubby and I just wanted a quick lunch before doing the million other things we had to do that day and it seemed a quick easy place to visit.

Strange to think we’ve never been here before when we live so close. The first thing we noticed was the view of the oval as you walk into the Bistro Doors. It was a really lovely view!

We were there right at the start of the lunch period and only one other table was seated. Before long, many many tables were full and they all had one thing in common; They were full of seniors! The Glenelg Club has 20% off all lunch meals Monday to Friday for seniors. Now that’s a pretty good offer right!

Looking through the menu there were lots of options on there at pretty reasonable prices. They also advertise their weekly specials and I was already thinking about when we could come back before we’d even ordered anything!

After looking through the menu for a long, long time, hubby finally decided he was going to have the Grazers Plate. It was in the starters section and we assumed it was some kind of sharing platter. The menu description didn’t say how many people the plate would reasonably feed so he just figured he’d order it for his main. This was what appeared on the menu
“Southern chicken tenders, spiced lamb skewers, seeded mustard bread, waffle fries, chefs selected dip, olives and Australian feta”

I decided to go for the burger, I know, not very original but it was what I felt like today. I actually would have preferred the steak sandwich but I didn’t like the bread they had that on.

When I ordered the food, the server didn’t say anything. I mentioned that hubby was going to have the grazing plate as his main. She didn’t bat an eyelid. I had no clue at how big this plate was going to be.

We watched other food coming out and it all looked really good so we were looking forward to our own meals.

Finally a server starts walking over to our table with just one dish. It turns out, she had the grazers plate and it was so large, she couldn’t hold two plates. She needed two hands for it and said she’d be right back with my burger.

Hubby, shy thing that he is, was just mortified at the size. Other diners had turned to look. One lady even said “oh, excuse me, what did you order there, was that something special?” I said “No it’s on the menu, it’s the Grazers plate”
You could see the relief come over her, “oh” she replied, “thank goodness. I thought that was the dips plate and we’ve just ordered that.”

I really don’t know where to start with this. Everything was really really good. Hubby begged me to share it so I had to have a try. From the chicken, to the dip and salsa, everything was very tasty. I’m sure I ate most of that dip!
This dish was $32 which I think is very reasonable for the amount of food that you get!
Hubby noticed that one of the servers would glance over and snicker every time she came by. It might have been his imagination…
Despite his embarrassment, he really wasn’t sorry he’d ordered it, perhaps just sorry that there were witnesses!!

My burger looked huge. I was going to say equally huge but that wouldn’t be correct! I didn’t even know how I was going to eat it at first. I ended up taking the bacon out because (don’t be shocked) I’m not a bacon fan and that made it easier to eat.
It was really tasty and the ingredients and fillings seemed really fresh.
They really aren’t shy on portion size here!

It’s lucky that we came here during lunch and not later in the day. At least our bodies have time to metabolise the food somewhat before we go to bed.

Honestly I don’t know if it’s the football connection, the view of the oval, the large serves or hubby’s mortification but I loved coming here today and hope it won’t be too long before we visit again. I wonder if they’ll make that Grazing Plate dish to go?

Have you been to The Glenelg Club?
What did you think?
Let me know in the comments below!

We’re thrown a little out of a comfort zone
We encounter a very special “Special” and
Good food soothes our hungry souls…

Diners today’s review is for The Lion Restaurant on Melbourne Street in North Adelaide.

I’m sure many of you are familiar with the restaurant, or if not, the bar alongside it! I know I’ve whiled away an afternoon or two in the bar in my time but had never dined in the restaurant.

I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I had imagined it would be a bit pretentious.
Hubby and I noticed a sign that said a dress code applied and luckily, we normally look quite spiffy so it didn’t worry us.

We came in a little after 2pm but were told they take orders till about 2.45pm so that was good to know! The staff were lovely and if they had judged us walking in, I wouldn’t have known but hubby thought we were being talked down to a little. One of the servers asked us if we were celebrating a special occasion and I said “No we just want to get some lunch” I wondered then if that’s something they ask everyone or did we look like a couple of bogans, wanting to have a once off nice meal in a nice restaurant to celebrate something? I did notice the wait staff had good rapport with other diners and that was nice to see.

In any case, if they were judgemental I don’t think they were overt about it and we settled in and enjoyed our surroundings. It did feel a bit “special” in a seventies type way. I thought the decor was a little seventies but hubby said he thought it was more Scandanavian. He’s probably right. I’m not usually a good judge of these things.

We were given some menus and the wine list.
At first I wasn’t sure I wanted anything on the menu. Nothing really jumped out at me. Hubby and I were actually on the verge of leaving but I felt a little embarrassed to do that and in the end was glad we’d stayed. A lovely server went through the menu and answered any questions we had. She also told us about the specials and I couldn’t go past the fish special which was Snapper.
Hubby decided to go for his usual, steak. More about that later!

We started off with a couple of dips. The server explained what they were but I couldn’t remember all the fancy bits. Basically one was a cauliflower one and the other was some sort of Potato combination.

I was pretty impressed when this came out! It looked like a decent serve. The dips themselves had a nice texture but I think they probably should have chosen different flavoured dips as they almost looked the same. The texture was the same and although they tasted different, by the end we didn’t really know what we were having.
They were very enjoyable though and had a lot of flavour!! I did really enjoy the dips and the bread and pita they served it with. The bread was toasty warm and the pita was crispy yet firm. Nice!

For main hubby ended up going for the Scotch Fillet on the menu, rather than the Steak special. Our server asked if he wanted potato puree or fries with his fillet. Hubby originally said puree, but after seeing a few other dishes come out, he asked the waitress if he could change and they graciously obliged.

This Scotch Fillet was cooked perfectly! It was well seasoned and the mustard they provided added more flavour to the meat. There was also a decent amount of fries which made hubby very happy. I did wonder how it would have looked if he’d gone for the potato puree but he was very happy with his choice. I went for the Snapper Special.

Unfortunately I can’t remember everything that it came with but it was so very delicious! The Snapper itself was beautifully cooked and I can only be sad because I wanted more!
It sat on a bed of some type of homemade pasta, sundried tomato, fresh tomato, mint, fennel, goats cheese, sultanas and probably more herbs and spices. There was also something crunchy in there that made the texture of what I was eating interesting. The crunchy things looked a little like maggots though so I had to not think of that every time I put a bit in my mouth!

I just think this dish was soooo pretty it was almost a sin to eat it and the flavour combinations worked wonderfully! I loved the unexpected sweetness of the sultanas. The ratio of all those ingredients was really very perfect.

The wait staff were attentive the whole time without being over bearing, checking that our meals were ok and asking if we wanted more wine/drinks.

Although a little on the pricey side, I think they strive to give you a special experience and I would have no hesitation in recommending the Lion as everything we had here was cooked so very well.

Have you been to the Lion?
What did you think?
Let me know in the comments below!!

This gorgeous building is heritage listed and it was a pleasure just to walk into!

Lovely stained glass windows at the front while the back dining area has paved floors and lots of comforting wood!

I want to also show you the massive tree trunk in the outdoor eating area!

It was too hot for us to sit out there today but from where our table was, we had a good view of it and I kept wondering if that’s what the Far Away Tree from the Enchanted Wood would have looked like….

As I mentioned we felt completely comfortable and at home from the moment we walked in.
We got a couple of menus and settled ourselves at a table. A waitress came to bring us some water and I asked her a few questions about some of the menu items. She was very friendly and seemed genuinely wanting to speak about the food, instead of just doing a job and giving information.
I’m not sure if they are fostering a family atmosphere but that’s what it felt like!

I kept wondering where all the people were! Such a beautiful place, with nice friendly staff. They deserve to have more people there!
It was about 1pm on a weekday when we were dining there. Maybe it’s more a dinner and weekend type hotel.
For us as diners, I felt like we had the place to ourselves though and it was very relaxing.

After looking through the menu I decided to go for the Lamb and Guinness Pie. I could have had it as a “Floater” with mushy peas but even though I’m a true blue South Aussie, I just couldn’t do this. If you don’t know what a “Pie Floater” is you could always google it but just remember that once seen, it cannot be unseen….
The pie also came with Roasted Dutch Carrots and Gravy.

Let me tell you right now this was the best pie I’ve had in a long time! I don’t normally like gravy but it was just perfect! The pastry was light, the lamb inside was tender. Everything worked a treat! If I was a harsh critic I might have said the lamb was a little dry but it was just exactly what I wanted on this particular day so I have no complaints.
Honestly, I could keep raving on about how good this was for quite some time. Hubby was saying I should try this or that from his plate but I just shook my head no hoping I wouldn’t have to return the favour. I didn’t want to share today!

Hubby was undecided and nothing on the menu particularly stood out for him today so he went for a platter and some beer battered chips.

I love how the fries have a “rustic” look. That’s pretty much how everything I cook comes out…
The fries came with a smoked aioli and tomato sauce. I couldn’t really taste the smokiness (yes I did taste some of his) but it was still nice.
The platter was on the menu as Fleurieu Platter – Dips, Cheese, Olives, Cured Meats served with pita bread.

Hubby kept looks for the “dips” as he could only see one, but there is definitely an “s” on that menu description. Unless the Olive Oil/balsamic bowl was classed as a dip?
The Pita was toasted but cold and hubby’s preference would have been for them to come out either toasted warm, or just soft.
Everything on his plate was beautifully fresh though and it did look pretty good! That dip had a Moroccan Season type flavour. I’m not sure what it was but I liked it more than hubby did (yes I tried that one too!)

You can’t see it in the picture but the platter also had half a pear and some rock melon on there. I think it was not bad value at $18! And those fries he ordered were $8.
My pie was pretty reasonable at $22

There were a few things on the menu that I wanted to try (including pierogi!) so I will definitely be back and if you haven’t been to the North Adelaide, I strongly urge you too!!

However, it probably is NOT a good idea to walk to the local supermarket and purchase a litre of icecream to eat in the privacy of your car (Away from prying eyes) after your lunch at the North Adelaide Hotel. Not that I’m saying we did that….

Have you been to the North Adelaide Hotel?
What did you think?
Let me know in the comments below!!

I find where the Play School “round” window went!
Stone grill dishes make our mouths water and
A little seasoning never goes astray….

Diners today we are in Aldgate at the Aldgate Pump Hotel. I wondered how it got it’s name. What did the “pump” part of it mean?
Well as it turns out, a century or so ago, bullock drivers, travellers and colonists would travel from Adelaide past the pub. At that time, the trip from Adelaide to the pub took a good part of the day. A hand-pump and trough outside gave horses a welcome drink while their owners were inside refreshing themselves with something to eat and drink.

Although it didn’t take us half a day to get here, we were looking forward to being refreshed ourselves.
There are lovely pubs scattered throughout the Adelaide Hills and we weren’t disappointed by what we found at the Aldgate Pump Hotel.

I was a little dismayed as we walked in though, to see dated carpet and older style furnishings but the longer we sat there, the more I realised that it’s part of the charm that the locals expect.

The staff were friendly and we found a nice table that let us enjoy the views to the greenery outside.

The menu sounded a little ambitious at first glance. Were they trying to be something they’re not or could they really deliver?
The most interesting aspect of the menu is the Hot Rock section. In fact we saw a couple of dishes coming out and the sizzling sound of that meat cooking on the hot rock was really making us question our menu choices!

In the end we decided to go for the chef’s selection : Trio of Dips as a starter.

Look at that beautiful colour! I have to say, these are the best selection of dips we’ve had in a while. Each dip had a wonderful texture and we were given quite a generous amount of each! We guessed the flavours as being (from left) beetroot, sundried tomato and tzatziki. The pita bread was fresh and warm and we were almost full after sharing this plate!

We both really felt like a good pub burger today so hubby went for the Pulled Pork Burger, and I went for my usual Steak Burger.

The Pulled Pork Burger made hubby’s eyes light up when it came out.

There seems to be a generous amount of pork in there! Unfortunately hubby said it was really lacking in seasoning and flavour. We both found the burger bun to be a little…
I’m not sure how to describe it, only to say it seemed like it had been thawed out and reheated.

My Steak burger looked pretty good when it came out too.

I can’t remember seeing it on the menu but there were fried onion rings in there! Sadly, these too could have used some salt but it was still exciting to see.

The meat itself was beautifully cooked; Tender and succulent just as it should be. The rest of the burger had flavour enough so I really enjoyed mine.

While we were dining I glanced over and saw what reminded me of the Play School Window!

Those Australians, who like me, grew up with ABC’s Play School will know what I’m talking about.

All in all, we had a nice dining experience here despite the lack of flavour in some of the food. I just think they might be trying to be something they’re not.
People come to this place for the charm and the history and I think that’s what they need to promote.
While they say “change is as good as a holiday” I think they need to be calculated changes and the skills to cope with the changes have to accompany them.

Have you been to Aldgate Pump Hotel?
What did you think?
Let me know in the comments below!!

A guilty secret pleasure is revisited…
Nacho’s unite the world and
One of the Spoon You Fork Me team learns there’s alcohol in Sangria….

Diners today we were at Montezuma’s in Glenelg. Please don’t hate me when I say this is a guilty secret pleasure of mine. I’ve been wanting to come here for some time but my usual dining partner refuses to. So, as he was working today, I recruited a new member to the team and off we went.

I’ve been coming here for years, in fact the first time I went was when I’d just started seeing hubby and we’d gone to Noosa for the day and lo and behold, there was a Montezuma’s. Later on in the year we went to the Gold Coast Queensland for a week and spent a lot of time in the Montezuma’s there thanks to their half price lunch deal!

Today I got to Montezuma’s before my dining partner and walked in to check I wouldn’t need to make a booking. It was a Sunday and a lovely warm day at that so I suspected it would be busy. Unfortunately, at 1pm, there were only a few tables being used. I was a bit shocked to be honest. And I was also shocked that they had the doors and windows closed. In fact, I wasn’t quite sure they were open at first.

When I walked in it felt dingy and the air a little heavy with oil and cooking smells. I was worried about how this was going to affect my new dining partner who had never even eaten Mexican, let alone been to Montezuma’s.

I was happy to hear the Mexican music playing in the background and allowed myself to be transported.

Looking over the familiar menu I began to relax into my surroundings and was looking forward to eating the only main I ever order here. …

But first, Sangria!!! The first time I’d ever had a Sangria was in a Montezuma’s restaurant.

My dining partner and I both had a glass. I was tempted to order a jug but I was driving so had to be responsible.

What makes Montezuma’s stand out is the gaudy (but lovable) colourful decorations. I kind of feel like I should hate them I kind of feel like if I’m supposed to be a “foodie”, I’m supposed to hate this place but I don’t, I love it. I love everything about it, even the gaudiness and though I’m not sure it’s authentic Mexican half the time, I don’t care!

Unfortunately these photos don’t show the bright colours of the decorations but trust me, they’re there!

While we were sitting in our booth, a gentleman came over to put one of the decorations, a sombrero, back on the wall. My dining partner said “oh no you don’t!!!!” which kind of surprised me, but then she added “I need to put it on first” And, she did just that!

Yes… and we have a sombreo photo to prove it!

I should probably also add that after I’d finished my Sangria I said “I’d love another but I probably shouldn’t seeing as I’m driving” and she said “oh, there’s alcohol in that? No wonder I feel a bit tipsy…”

Enough chit chat, on to the food!

We ordered a full serve of Nacho’s to begin with….

The lighting was pretty dim in there so I’m sorry that it doesn’t look too flash but let me tell you they tasted pretty good!!! Believe it or not, my dining partner had not had nacho’s before and hadn’t even had refried beans before so this was a real treat for her!

We had vegetarian nachos which was refried beans, salsa and cheese surrounded by corn chips. Delicious!!

No sooner had we finished those but out came our mains!
I’d ordered my tried and true favourite, Chili Verde and my dining partner went for the Durango which is Chicken and Sour Cream Enchilada, Beef Enchilada, beans and rice.

Again I apologise for the poor lighting. Remember my dining partner had never eaten food like this before and she found it very delicious. She had nothing to compare it to though. She said everything was good and loved the refried beans. She said she was surprised at how much she liked it as she had always thought she wouldn’t like Mexican food.

My Chili Verde was everything I’ve always expected it to be. The beef was tender and accompanied by that chili which lit my tastebuds!!! Delicious!! and I really really love the way they do their rice here. I’ve tried to replicate that crispiness at home but it’s never worked out.

I don’t pretend to be a snobbish foodie. I like what I like and I know this place isn’t for everyone but I’ve got fond memories attached here and yes, I really do love the whole experience from the gaudy decorations to the food itself!! Our waiter today also had an accent and yes that helps!!!
I’m sure we’ll be back many more times and I’m sure I’ll probably keep drinking the Sangria and ordering the Chili Verde….

Have you been to Montezuma’s?
What did you think?
Let me know in the comments below!!!